Readers Say Weight-loss Shower Idea Was All Wet

DEAR ABBY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST

July 7, 2000|DEAR ABBY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST

Dear Abby: A woman wrote to ask you what you thought of the idea of a weight-loss shower for someone who had just shed 30 pounds. The "catch" to this shower was that the guests bring monetary gifts so the hostess could buy a new wardrobe to fit her smaller figure.

At first glance the idea seemed tacky to me. Just as with any other type of shower, it is inappropriate to specify a monetary gift in the invitation. Should someone inquire about gift ideas, the host could indicate that the honoree is trying to save up for a new wardrobe. However, there are many other suitable gifts for someone who has just lost weight. For example, guests could be asked to bring a copy of their favorite low-calorie recipes to be compiled into a scrapbook.

Losing unwanted pounds is no easy feat. Throwing someone a shower for this reason is certainly justified. -- New Port Richey

Dear New Port Richey: Yours was the most charitable response that letter generated. Read on:

Dear Abby: I have gained about 60 pounds in the past four years. Should I throw a party to give my friends the "opportunity" to "shower" me with money to buy new fat clothes? There are already too many forced gift-giving occasions thrust upon us. My answer is: "No way. Boycott the shower!" -- Fat and Sassy in Oklahoma City

Dear Abby: I'd tell the person who was throwing the weight-loss shower that for each 30 pounds she lost, I was donating a dollar for each pound to the local homeless shelter. When I began losing weight, I privately vowed to put $10 in our church offering plate for each pound I lost. Twenty pounds and $200 later, the church "feed the homeless" fund is fattened, and I gladly have a slightly slimmer wallet. -- Puyallup, Wash.